1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instrument panel suitable for use in an industrial vehicle and excellent in noise insulating characteristics, switch configuration characteristics, safety and maintenance facility.
2. Related Art Statement
Hitherto, an instrument panel 9 for an industrial vehicle such as a fork-lift truck has been disposed in front of a driver's seat and formed into a complicated shape as shown in FIG. 6. In general, the instrument panel 9 has a steering shaft fitting portion 90 at a substantially central portion thereof for the purpose of disposing a steering wheel (omitted from illustration). Furthermore, the instrument panel 9 has cargo lever fitting portions 92, 93 and 94 on the two sides thereof for the purpose of disposing cargo levers (omitted from illustration) for operating a lift or the like. In addition, the instrument panel 9 has switch portions 95 and 96 on which a variety of switches are mounted. The instrument panel 9 thus arranged is formed into a predetermined shape by molding a metal plate.
In particular, the instrument panel 9 must be designed conspicuously and attractively because it is disposed in front of the driver's seat. Furthermore, there has been an eager desire that the instrument panel 9 be able to minimize noise generated by the aforesaid devices disposed on the instrument panel 9 or noise generated by the engine disposed in the front portion of the vehicle (and below the hood), hydraulic noise and vibrations. In addition, there has been a desire that the weight and the cost of the manufactured instrument panel 9 be reduced while realizing an excellent manufacturing yield.
However, the aforesaid conventional technology encounters the following problems: the fact that the instrument panel 9 is manufactured by molding a metal plate as shown in FIG. 7 causes a problem to arise in that the noise generated by, for example, the engine disposed in the front portion of the vehicle (and below the hood) and leaked through gaps formed on a toe board 3 for connecting pedals thereto or disposing pedals thereon cannot be isolated. Furthermore, it is not sometimes preferable to directly dispose switches on the instrument panel 9 because the instrument panel 9 cannot satisfactorily isolate vibrations. In addition, cylinder covers 91 for covering a pair of right and left tilt cylinders 4, which can be respectively tilted, must be, for safety, disposed below the instrument panel 9. Furthermore, the cylinder covers 91, which cover the tilt cylinders 4, must completely be removed at the time of repair and inspection of the tilt cylinders 4 and their piping portions which must sometimes be performed. Hence, a problem rises in that the maintenance cannot easily be performed with the conventional instrument panel 9.